Best Cities for Tourists

Select a category:

by Douglas Burger

One of the biggest decisions a person has to make each year is how to spend his or her paid time off. Each person wants to get something different out of vacation -- from relaxation or exploration to seeing family and friends. For this study, we tried to focus on travelers and tourists who want to experience a new city in the best and most efficient way possible.

The Best Cities for Tourists

Seeking to determine the best cities in the U.S. for tourists, we used 21 data points from eight reputable sources to come up with our rankings. Below you will find the results, as well as a detailed methodology describing how we arrived at them.

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA

The Attractions: 6

The Stay: 31

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

The Attractions: 3

The Stay: 38

Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA

The Attractions: 19

The Stay: 38

New Orleans-Metairie, LA

The Attractions: 54

The Stay: 5

Charleston-North Charleston, SC

The Attractions: 57

The Stay: 3

The Rest of the Best

The five above were tops, but 195 other cities were under consideration. Where did yours rank?

Overall

City

The Attractions

The Stay

1

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA

6

31

2

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

3

38

3

Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA

19

38

4

New Orleans-Metairie, LA

54

5

5

Charleston-North Charleston, SC

57

3

6

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

45

16

7

Austin-Round Rock, TX

17

45

8

San Diego-Carlsbad, CA

20

50

8

Wilmington, NC

56

14

10

Lexington-Fayette, KY

27

54

11

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

11

72

11

Richmond, VA

32

51

13

Reno, NV

44

40

14

Tucson, AZ

41

44

15

Barnstable Town, MA

64

22

16

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD

70

17

17

Sioux Falls, SD

70

18

18

Albuquerque, NM

53

37

18

Savannah, GA

86

4

20

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

51

41

21

Santa Rosa, CA

8

88

22

Oklahoma City, OK

68

30

23

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

34

68

23

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

18

84

25

St. Louis, MO-IL

22

81

26

San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA

7

97

27

Kansas City, MO-KS

91

15

27

Madison, WI

2

104

27

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA

30

76

27

Rochester, NY

5

101

31

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX

97

10

32

Asheville, NC

13

95

32

Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN

43

65

34

Jacksonville, FL

109

2

34

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

41

70

34

Raleigh, NC

63

48

34

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

55

56

38

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

4

112

39

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI

14

103

40

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

89

29

41

Cleveland-Elyria, OH

58

62

41

Columbus, OH

94

26

41

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL

113

7

44

Norwich-New London, CT

60

61

45

Charlottesville, VA

15

110

46

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

92

35

47

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

83

46

48

Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA

107

23

49

Anchorage, AK

9

124

50

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC

60

74

50

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

75

59

50

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL

100

34

53

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

1

135

54

Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA

29

108

55

Urban Honolulu, HI

80

59

56

Memphis, TN-MS-AR

135

6

57

Greensboro-High Point, NC

65

78

58

Tulsa, OK

87

57

59

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN

66

79

59

Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN

46

99

59

Salinas, CA

83

62

62

Ann Arbor, MI

33

117

62

Springfield, MO

130

20

64

Portland-South Portland, ME

21

134

64

Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC

69

86

66

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

131

25

67

Chattanooga, TN-GA

129

28

68

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

52

106

68

Columbia, SC

157

1

70

Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ

150

11

71

Amarillo, TX

145

21

71

Cedar Rapids, IA

134

32

73

Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO

114

55

74

Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC

118

52

75

Roanoke, VA

98

73

76

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY

24

148

77

Syracuse, NY

36

137

78

Burlington-South Burlington, VT

28

147

79

Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY

31

145

79

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO

16

160

79

Providence-Warwick, RI-MA

22

154

82

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI

12

165

82

Pittsburgh, PA

10

167

84

Duluth, MN-WI

39

139

85

Lincoln, NE

50

130

86

Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR

175

8

87

Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT

58

126

87

Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC

148

36

89

Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL

173

12

90

Fort Collins, CO

35

151

90

Prescott, AZ

70

116

92

Mobile, AL

160

27

92

Salisbury, MD-DE

62

125

92

Shreveport-Bossier City, LA

178

9

95

College Station-Bryan, TX

146

42

96

Salem, OR

37

153

97

Knoxville, TN

144

47

97

Salt Lake City, UT

99

92

99

Charleston, WV

159

33

99

Jackson, MS

179

13

99

Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV

74

118

102

Eugene, OR

26

169

103

Boulder, CO

25

171

104

Lafayette, LA

122

75

105

Colorado Springs, CO

40

158

106

Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL

118

84

107

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

101

102

107

Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA

47

156

109

Corpus Christi, TX

147

58

110

Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL

154

53

110

New Haven-Milford, CT

79

128

110

Tallahassee, FL

183

24

113

Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC

189

19

113

Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL

95

113

115

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ

96

114

115

Gainesville, FL

120

90

117

Trenton, NJ

102

110

118

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

125

88

119

Wichita, KS

127

91

120

Lancaster, PA

49

170

120

Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN

73

146

122

Akron, OH

85

136

123

Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA

38

184

124

Springfield, MA

106

119

125

Champaign-Urbana, IL

153

77

125

North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL

78

152

127

Kennewick-Richland, WA

116

115

128

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA

104

128

129

Waco, TX

171

67

130

Birmingham-Hoover, AL

133

107

130

Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS

176

64

130

Topeka, KS

174

66

133

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX

198

43

134

Bakersfield, CA

161

83

134

Columbus, GA-AL

195

49

134

Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI

48

196

137

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT

88

159

138

Evansville, IN-KY

140

109

139

Dayton, OH

112

138

139

Lubbock, TX

120

130

141

Baton Rouge, LA

155

98

142

Green Bay, WI

67

187

143

Appleton, WI

123

132

143

Chico, CA

162

93

145

Boise City, ID

82

174

146

Macon, GA

172

86

147

Killeen-Temple, TX

177

82

148

Erie, PA

77

183

149

Lynchburg, VA

81

181

150

Montgomery, AL

195

69

151

Reading, PA

90

178

152

Binghamton, NY

107

163

152

Brownsville-Harlingen, TX

199

71

152

Fresno, CA

143

127

155

Olympia-Tumwater, WA

103

168

155

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA

166

105

157

Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL

124

149

158

Kalamazoo-Portage, MI

76

200

159

Fort Smith, AR-OK

186

93

160

Laredo, TX

200

80

160

Winston-Salem, NC

141

139

162

Peoria, IL

117

164

163

Worcester, MA-CT

93

189

164

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC

128

155

165

Vallejo-Fairfield, CA

142

142

166

Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV

163

122

167

Ocala, FL

192

95

167

Yakima, WA

115

172

169

Huntsville, AL

165

123

170

Fayetteville, NC

194

100

171

Tuscaloosa, AL

180

120

172

Rockford, IL

111

191

173

Toledo, OH

126

177

174

Bremerton-Silverdale, WA

105

199

174

El Paso, TX

183

121

174

Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA

138

166

177

Canton-Massillon, OH

110

198

177

Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL

132

176

179

Stockton-Lodi, CA

167

143

180

South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI

168

144

181

Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX

181

133

181

Manchester-Nashua, NH

135

179

183

Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL

157

161

184

Modesto, CA

170

150

184

Visalia-Porterville, CA

181

139

186

Utica-Rome, NY

139

182

187

Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH

149

175

188

York-Hanover, PA

135

190

189

Lansing-East Lansing, MI

168

173

190

Fort Wayne, IN

152

191

191

Greeley, CO

156

188

192

Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA

150

195

193

Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL

189

162

194

Merced, CA

197

157

195

Port St. Lucie, FL

163

197

196

Spartanburg, SC

185

185

197

Clarksville, TN-KY

193

180

198

Provo-Orem, UT

188

186

199

Flint, MI

187

194

200

Ogden-Clearfield, UT

189

193

The Top (and Bottom) Five Cities for...

Every tourist’s budget is going to look different, but we split our data points into two categories that hopefully best represent the spending decisions of the average tourist. Here we take a look at four of those data points.

Most Breweries

A brewery tour is a great way to learn more about a city and its history, while also getting the day-drinking started. We used U.S. Census Bureau to calculate the number of breweries per 1,000 members of the population. Colorado likes its beer, as Denver led the way in total breweries, and Boulder took the top spot when adjusted for population.

Rank

City

Breweries

1

Boulder, CO

0.069

2

Fort Collins, CO

0.058

3

Burlington-South Burlington, VT

0.037

4

Asheville, NC

0.037

5

Charlottesville, VA

0.031

Rank

City

Breweries

200

Stockton-Lodi, CA

0

199

Killeen-Temple, TX

0

198

Visalia-Porterville, CA

0

197

Sioux Falls, SD

0

196

Amarillo, TX

0

Most Tour Guides

After finishing the brewery tour, it might be a good idea to work off some of those carbs with a walking tour. The Bureau of Labor Statistics tells us the number of tour guides employed in a city, and we adjusted the data point per 1,000 members of the population.

Rank

City

Tour Guides

1

Honolulu, HI

1.00

2

Savannah, GA

0.78

3

Asheville, NC

0.53

4

Ann Arbor, MI

0.51

5

Charleston-North Charleston, SC

0.50

Rank

City

Tour Guides

200

Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA

0

199

Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX

0

198

Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL

0

197

Binghamton, NY

0

196

Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV

0

Most Hotels

All that drinking and walking has our tourists pretty tired, so it’s time to head back to the hotel. The U.S. Census Bureau was used to calculate this data point, again adjusted for a city’s population.

Rank

City

Hotels

1

Barnstable Town, MA

0.725

2

Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC

0.552

2

San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA

0.550

4

Salisbury, MD-DE

0.526

5

Portland-South Portland, ME

0.459

Rank

City

Hotels

200

Worcester, MA-CT

0.067

199

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC

0.069

198

Trenton, NJ

0.070

197

Reading, PA

0.073

195

Ogden-Clearfield, UT

0.073

Experts' Take

To vary our coverage of the best cities for tourists, we put the data aside and sought out expert for answers to questions of concern.

Eric Espino is the co-founder of TourMega.com.

How has domestic tourism changed over the last decade?

Looking back over the past decade, we cannot discount the impact the Great Recession had on domestic tourism, which in many ways altered the tourism landscape permanently. Fortunately, the American economy has improved, employment levels are growing, and low inflation has countered lackluster wage growth to provide Americans with more disposable income to take part in tourism domestically and abroad.

Economics aside, the use of social media has become a major factor in domestic tourism over the past decade. The various platforms provide tour operators and governments with a dynamic way to engage travelers and for travelers to share their experiences with the world. The fact that it is commonplace for a company or government agency to have a social media coordinator employed on a full time basis says a lot about the importance of such platforms.

Finally, Americans continue to look to the web to source almost anything, including tours and activities. Over the past decade, tour bookings online have increased and the use of online tour platforms continue to grow, especially among the experiential tour segment (e.g. TourNative and EatWith). What’s interesting about this however is that while travelers are increasingly looking to book tours and activities online, the guides and companies themselves are still well behind in terms of providing tourists this option; it is estimated that over 80% of tour providers globally do not offer this option.

How are cities drawing both domestic and international tourists to their cities?

As a former municipal finance professional, I saw how important tourism was for cities throughout the U.S., and it will continue to be a topic that many will focus on given its economic potential. Cities that are successful in drawing tourists generally have the infrastructure -- transit, lodging, dining and entertainment options -- in place to cater to travelers with a variety of interests and budgets. For the smaller, less developed cities, success is often the result of a major natural resource or industry -- think Niagara Falls or the wine industry in Napa -- that the city and surrounding communities have embraced and collectively market. Beyond that, cities find success in drawing tourists by having a nicely designed website -- with different language options -- and a social media presence that can engage broad segments of travelers and demonstrates that tourists from different parts of the world and walks of life are welcome. Finally, it has gotten to the point that tourists expect that they will have access to WiFi and so cities that provide that resource to travelers, either through a network of their own or a collection of hotspots provided by businesses, have an easier time drawing visitors.

How does the U.S. compare to the rest of the world when it comes to tourism?

The U.S. is considered the world’s second-largest source market for tourism, behind China, with 2015 tourism expenditures estimated at $120 billion and 2015 outbound travelers estimated at 73 million (World Tourism Organization). When considering how much is spent in the destination country by foreign travelers, the U.S. is by far the number one international destination with international tourism receipts estimated at $220.8 billion in 2014, approximately 3.3 times the amount spent by international travelers in the next country, France (World Bank). As such, U.S. tourism is a major economic driver for the country as a whole as well as the international destinations that seek to draw American tourists to them each year.

What are one or two cities that are attracting tourists that aren't normally on the top of people's list and why are these cities attractive?

Austin, Texas, and Boulder, Col., are two cities that come to mind that are attracting tourists that are not normally on the top of travelers’ lists.

Austin has gained significant notoriety from its now famous SXSW event. By providing the space and welcoming atmosphere for attendees from all over the world and by attracting the “creative” industries, the city was able to grow with and capitalize on a unique event that grew from under 1,000 attendees in the late 1980’s to 50,000 plus in the past few years. However, Austin is more than just SXSW and has become a year-round destination over the years. The popular “Keep Austin Weird” slogan does a good job of capturing what makes Austin a popular destination. It shows that people in Austin want to be themselves which in turn signals to tourists that visiting will be a fun time with unique experiences.

Boulder doesn’t have the benefit of a SXSW that will bring in travelers from all over the world on annual basis. However, it does benefit from a major public university in the city, its close proximity to many wonderful options for outdoor enthusiasts, over 300 days of sunshine each year, and some really good craft beer options. In addition, the city itself is considered very progressive, welcoming, and with a smaller footprint than Denver that offers travelers a small town feel. The state’s passage of laws allowing recreational marijuana use have also resulted in an increase in tourism throughout the state which benefits a city like Boulder given its laid-back feel and friendly environment.

Luca Alessandrini is a consultant for FUHWE.

What are one or two cities that are attracting tourists that aren't normally on the top of people's list and why are these cities attractive?

A city that continuously attracts tourists but is not known to be a top destination is New Orleans. Visiting the city can be compared to an experience abroad while still being in the U.S. There is something about New Orleans that makes people feel far away from home... in a very romantic way.

Lindsey Epperly is a luxury travel consultant and the owner of Epperly Travel.

What are one or two cities that are attracting tourists that aren't normally on the top of people's list, and why are these cities attractive?

Newport Beach, Calif. -- while Southern California is always a great option, I've found travelers specifically love the Newport Beach area as it encompasses what they were imagining when they think of "SoCal." From a stay at the renowned Pelican Hill, where guests can enjoy the privacy of an ocean view bungalow, to a shopping spree at Fashion Island, travelers can experience the Newport life firsthand.

Methodology

In order to determine the best cities for tourists, we looked at 21 data points from eight reputable sources. Not all data points had data available for every city. In these cases, cities without a data figure were given a last-placed ranking in that specific category. Incomplete data points were given a lower weighting (in parenthesis below).

For tourists, there’s a balance that needs to be found between cost and enjoyment. Tourists want to experience a city but not empty their wallet while doing it. We had this mindset when compiling our rankings and creating our two categories.

For data point nine, we felt that a higher wage for tour guides would equal a better tour. There may be an added cost passed onto the tourists.

Safety is also an important value for tourists when traveling to a new city. Less crime and more police officers ranked a city higher in our study.

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the offers that appear on this website are from companies which ValuePenguin receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where offers appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). The site does not review or include all companies or all available products. For more information please see our Advertiser Disclosure.